I'm currently in the market for a new computer. The one I have currently is an Acer Aspire, with a Windows 11 operating system, and the storage is nearly full. I'm looking for something that is affordable. Also, something that is really efficient for music production, because I've lost a couple FL Studio files mid production from a lack of storage.

What computers would you guys suggest?

a new one, probably

yeah, I have to give this one to my brother when I move out, too, so I definitely need a new one

i'm sorry, but windows 11 is sux

Have you thought about building your own computer instead of oem pc?

If storage is the only limiting factor, maybe look at adding an additional drive?

Quick edit: A laptop would be good, too

adding an additional drive, or simply replacing the one you've got with a much bigger one, would be my first suggestion if that's the only issue! you can get a hard drive enclosure for pretty cheap to use either one like an external drive and clone or copy all your stuff over pretty easily

that said, if you're dead set on getting a new computer that handles a DAW nicely, processor and RAM are the most important things to get spendy about, probably closely followed by the storage needed for big chungus VSTs and sample libraries and such. i'd prioritize that over a dedicated graphics card if production is the goal moreso than gaming

do like me, buy one without any operating system pre-installed, and install gnu/linux (like ubuntu or any other distribution) instead of windoze - your computer will last longer and you'll have way less headaches

(you also might get surprised how fine the last version of some of these distributions run on 15 years-old hardware - and how many people throwing away a computer struggling to run windoze that might run gnu/linux smoothly)

This article from FL Studio is full of great info on exactly this topic, helped me for sure: https://support.image-line.com/action/knowledgebase?ans=214

Might be kind of a wildcard answer but, I got a T61 that needed a new fan for like 50 bucks and put debian on it. It's my favorite computer for tracking ever (other than ST) 'cuz it's got a squarish screen and all the relevent hotkeys. Old trackers all display pixel-for-pixel which might not sound like a big deal but it is so freaking nice

if you're dealing with storage problems, there's multiple ways to remedy this. you could rent out some cloud storage, buy an external drive, upgrade your existing drive or clean up your existing files with a tool like windirstat

.

for cheap laptops i always recommend looking at companies that refurbish older generation business laptops. i really like thinkpads for their build quality and keyboards, i tend to buy them on eBay but ymmv. however, you do need to do your research to make sure you buy a relatively recent processor as you may find listings of core-i5 or core-i7 processors that seem good but are actually a decade old.

personally i need a desktop computer to be more efficient, if you spend a lot of time computing then i believe you ought to have one. it can be a significant investment because you may need a desk, chair, monitor arm, displays etc. however i think the comfort and efficiency really is worth it. if you want to build your own, check out pcpartpicker

. building your own is fun and not too complicated but you can get lost in the weeds with all the options.

if you're on a tight budget, you should be able to find refurbished business computers too, though make sure you get a good deal and not get a machine that's too old for your needs. most of them can be upgraded with extra memory, storage and so forth.